


When Size Doesn’t Matter

by lorir_writes



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Acrophobia, F/M, Height Differences, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:40:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29645886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorir_writes/pseuds/lorir_writes
Summary: Things get out of hand when Jade decides to look for inspiration to write her husband a love letter
Relationships: Liam/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Kudos: 4





	When Size Doesn’t Matter

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Warning: This piece contains adult material (description of near-death experience related to heights) which may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> 2\. Submission to Tumblr CFWC Silly Love Stories: Day 11 - Size difference and Choices February Challenge 2021: Day 10 - Letter

The smell of fresh baked chocolate cake permeated the air when Jade opened the oven and took two heart-shaped cake tins out of it. She grinned, admiring the results of her handiwork, and placed them on the cooling rack.

“Hana, come look at this.” The queen cheered.

Leaving a spatula inside the bowl where melted dark chocolate was being mixed with heavy cream, the lady approached her friend and analyzed the cakes. “It looks great, Jade! Are you sure you haven’t prepared a Devil food’s cake before?”

“I haven’t. I had no idea hot water and baking soda would make such differences on the texture.”

“There’s always a trick here and there to help something good become better,” Hana explained.

“But don’t you think it’ll be too small?”

“I think this is the perfect size for the two of you.”

“If you say so…” Jade shrugged. “How’s the ganache going?”

“It’s pretty much done. All we have to do is wait for it to cool off to put it in the piping bag and decorate. I’ll handle that part.”

“Excellent.” The queen’s smile faltered for a moment. “Hana?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think this is corny?”

“What?”

“You know… Planning a surprise dinner date, baking a heart chocolate cake for my husband, writing him a letter. Is it corny?” The queen picked at an invisible cuticle on her perfectly manicured finger.

“No. He likes chocolate cake and—.” Hana trailed off and looked at her friend in confusion. “Did you just say you’re going to write him a letter?”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe?”

“I know my skills as a writer are as good as Liam’s abilities with house chores, but I want to do something nice for him. He writes love letters to me when we have to spend more than five days apart.”

“That’s so sweet.” Hana gushed. “I didn’t know he did that.”

“He does. Even the little notes he writes are so full of love. And I want to reply with more than ‘I love you too’ and heart eyes emojis.”

“Do you draw heart eyes emojis in replies?” Hana gave her friend a look.

“What? They’re cute! And my drawing skills are not all bad.”

“Okay…” The lady grinned. “I think I understand where this is coming from and I know how you can improve your writing skills to write him the perfect love letter.”

“Oh?”

“Go to the library and check the literature book section. Liam’s favorite poetry books are there on the top shelves.”

“How do you know that?”

“I like to go there sometimes in my spare time. You know that.”

Jade nodded.

“One day I went to the library to finish reading a wonderful poetry book of a Portuguese author that I found but it wasn’t there. When I asked the librarian, she said Liam took the book to the Royal chambers. Then she showed where all his favorite books are stored.”

“No wonder you are the smartest Royal counselor we have. How do you always know key information about these things?”

“This information isn’t actually so valuable when you’re not the queen or friend’s with her,” Hana pointed out.

“You know what I meant,” the queen narrowed her eyes playfully.

“Yeah, I do…” Hana lifted her chin as if feigning pretentiousness.

The two of them chuckled.

“So now that I have this valuable information, help me find those books.”

“Of course.” Hana picked up the queen’s tablet from its holder and began to tap the screen.

Liam smiled at the last citizen and watched them walk out of the throne room. It was no secret to anyone that public audiences were exhausting. Still, he always believed these meetings kept him grounded and made him capable of understanding what the people of his kingdom hoped from life in Cornodia and from its leaders. After one more task completed, he stood up and, followed by his security detail, he marched to the door leading to the hallway that crossed the entire palace to return to his office.

On his way back, he greeted every single staff member and guest and answered a few brief phone calls. As he passed by the library, he found his wife’s bodyguard standing by the door.

“Good evening, Mara.”

“Good evening, Your Majesty.” The guard nodded politely.

“Is Jade in the library?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why are you outside?”

“Her Royal Majesty asked for privacy, sir.”

“To read books?”

The bodyguard looked down.

“Mara?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir.”

“What is my wife doing in the library by herself?”

“I wouldn’t know, sir.”

“You don’t think this could be potentially dangerous?” He pressed his lips together and glared at her.

“I’m sure the queen can handle a few books by herself, sir.”

The king shook his head in annoyance. Though most people would think his actions were somewhat overbearing, he knew his wife far too well and easily recognized the signs. She was clearly up to something. But hopefully, her impulsive behavior wouldn’t lead to something dangerous this time.

He was about to return to his office when a loud high pitched scream coming from the library reverberated through the walls. The king stopped on his tracks and looked back.

 _“HELP!”_ The queen yelled.

As he recognized her voice, the guards promptly opened the library and rushed into the large room, following Liam in the search for the queen.

“Jade?” He yelled.

“Liam? Help!”

“I’ll be right there!”

The king ran in the direction of her voice and stepped into the literature section.

“Jade?”

He scanned the surroundings confused to see a few books, a notepad, a pencil, and one of her flats scattered across the floor. Near those objects, the long wooden ladder that should have been leaned against the bookshelf.

“Up here!” She shouted.

Holding herself to the bottom of the highest cabinet, the queen looked scared like he has never seen before. The three and a half meters tall bookshelf was quite intimidating. It didn’t use to be a problem for his eight-year-old self, who used the highest cabinet as his secret spot in the palace when he wanted to be alone. Yet, his twenty-eight-year-old wife certainly didn’t feel the same about it.

“Hold on!” He shouted and picked up the ladder only to realize it was broken, probably from the impact with the floor. “Ugh…we need another ladder.”

But as the king was about to leave the section, Jade screamed. “Liam, please don’t leave me here!”

Turning back to her, he nodded. “Bastien! Mara!”

“Your Majesty!” Mara rushed into the book section, eyes clouded with worry as she inspected the scene before her. 

“Grab another ladder!” The king commanded.

“Yes, sir!” She quickly disappeared into the library.

“Liam, I don’t know how much longer I can’t hold on,” the queen whined as her arms and hands began to ache.

“Just a little longer, my love. You can do this.”

Just then, Bastien and Mara arrived with a metal ladder. Following right behind, the other guards had another ladder and ropes in case the queen needed extra help. After a couple of minutes, Jade was back on the ground, looking visibly pale and tired.

Without saying a word, the queen wrapped her arms around her husband and sobbed.

Liam held her close, kissed the top of her head and tried to calm his wife. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head in response.

“It’s okay, my love. You did great up there,” he whispered, caressing her hair as she continued to cry, burying her face on his chest. “You’re okay.”

Leaving a water bottle next to them, the guards bowed to the monarchs and left the book section.

The king then took the handkerchief from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

“Thank you.” She said quietly before dabbing the cotton fabric to her eyes.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Yes. But can we sit down first?”

“Sure.”

The couple sat on the floor and, after drinking some of the water, Jade hugged her legs and started to speak. “I was looking for your favorite poetry books. The librarian told me they’re in the top cabinets and I went there to pick one. I was trying to reach one from the top cabinet but my foot slipped when the rung broke.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

“It could have been worse if I didn’t hold onto the shelves before the ladder fell on the floor.” She frowned. “Why are your favorite books so high?”

“Father asked the librarian to put all of them over there because I couldn’t reach them. The only books with easy access here are the ones about geopolitics, history, philosophy, sociology…”

“A.K.A. books future monarchs must read?”

“Precisely. He didn’t know I kinda liked the challenge of going up there. That empty space over there used to be my hiding spot while growing up.” He pointed to a corner shelf with fewer books on.

“It’s really high even for us as adults. Weren’t you scared back then?”

“Not at all.”

“Whoa…” She mumbled in bewilderment.

“Why did you want to read poetry books?”

“I wanted to write you a love letter. But as you know, I’m not so good with words.” Jade averted her gaze.

“That’s not true. You always write your own speeches.”

“That the Royal Communications department always proofread.”

“They proofread both of our speeches.”

“But they just check if you didn’t miss any topics. They don’t 'suggest’ you change parts of it because you came across as 'too harsh’, ‘not so diplomatic’, or ‘publicly taking sides’,” she nagged.

“But it doesn’t mean you couldn’t write me a love letter.”

“But I wanted to search for inspiration to say the right things. You always know what to say. I don’t know how to respond to them sometimes.”

“Your replies with 'I love you’ and 'I miss you too’ are just what I need. And I like the drawings.” He said, draping one arm over her shoulder and pulling her closer.

“Really?”

“Yes. And it should be noted that you taught me a very creative meaning to tacos emoji.”

She giggled.

“I love how passionate you are about everything you set your mind into and you have exceptional improvising skills. I’m sure you can write anything to me without putting yourself at risk.”

“Thank you.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for all of this. I didn’t mean to get in the way of your schedule again.”

“You always come before any of my royal duties.”

“See? This is the kind of stuff you say that makes me wish I could write something more poetic to you.”

He chuckled softly. “Believe me, I’ll love anything you choose to write for me.”

“You got it so bad you don’t even see the mistake you’re making,” she scoffed.

The two of them laughed.

After a brief moment of silence, she asked. “Did you really not think the shelves were so high?”

“No, I don’t think it is. 3.5 meters isn’t that high.”

“So easy for you to say. I don’t understand the metric system and you’re seven feet tall,” she jeered.

“I’m 6.3 inches and the metric system is much simpler than imperial in my opinion,” he corrected her with a smile.

“Whatever…” Jade made a face.

“I’m still impressed with how strong you are to hold on to the shelf. Size didn’t matter at all.”

“Good to know…”

His brows furrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you won’t mind if I ditch high heels sometimes.”

“I can’t deny they can be fascinating,” Liam replied, picking up the shoe that slipped off her foot. His gaze darted to her bare foot. Taking his time to caress her foot, he gently lifted it up to put the flat back on. “But I certainly won’t mind if you don’t wish to wear them again.”

“And you won’t mind the surprise I prepared for you isn’t exactly big.”

“Will I get a surprise from you tonight?”

She nodded.

“As long as you don’t put yourself in danger again, I’ll gladly accept it.”

Cupping his face, Jade leaned in and pressed her lips on his, savoring the comfort of his embrace and the exhilaration kissing him always brought to her.

When they pulled away, he gazed into her eyes, studying her face. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Shall we get out of here so I can see the surprise you have for me?”

“Okay.”

With that, the couple stood up and left the library to spend quality time together, away from potential life threatening situations.


End file.
